White House Admits Cap-And-Trade Tax Costs Triple Their Official Estimate

White House Admits Cap-And-Trade Tax Costs Triple Their Official Estimate
"Remember that these staggering costs of $1.3 to $1.9 trillion are for just the first 8 years of a 40 year program that gets much more expensive over time. This would be the final knock-out blow for a wobbly U.S. economy, and we can only hope that as people learn the facts they’ll oppose it strongly enough to force Congress and the White House back to the drawing board."

Barack Obama's Cap and Trade Program Is a Tax on the Working Class

Barack Obama's Cap and Trade Program Is a Tax on the Working Class
...Mr. Obama's budget director -- told Congress last year that 'Those price increases are essential to the success of a cap-and-trade program.'
Hit hardest would be the '95% of working families' Mr. Obama keeps mentioning, usually omitting that his no-new-taxes pledge comes with the caveat 'unless you use energy.'"

Scientists claim fish 'learn like humans'

Scientists claim fish 'learn like humans'
"According to a study by St Andrews and Durham universities the nine-spined stickleback can compare the behaviour of other sticklebacks with their own experience and make a series of choices which can potentially lead to better food supplies."

Amazing breakthrough!

This means it may be possible to teach economics to liberals!

Nearly 60 Percent Won't Graduate At South Side Bradwell Elementary School; Are Parents To Blame?

Nearly 60 Percent Won't Graduate At South Side Bradwell Elementary School; Are Parents To Blame?
"A startling number of children are falling through the cracks at one Chicago Public School."

So, how much do we spend on education?

And these same parents will be feeding and providing health information to their children?

And when Obama's enormous healthcare boondoggle is enacted... and the national health doesn't improve.... it'll be the parents fault?

Beijing orders 'Buy China' for stimulus projects

Beijing orders 'Buy China' for stimulus projects
"China has imposed a requirement for its stimulus projects to use domestically made goods -- a move that could strain ties with trading partners after Beijing criticized Washington's 'Buy American' stimulus provisions."

Oh, those dang unintended consequences......

Roskam Baking Co. plans to hire 1,500 with $65 million investment in former Steelcase plant in Kentwood

Roskam Baking Co. plans to hire 1,500 with $65 million investment in former Steelcase plant in Kentwood
"'These projects are vivid proof of the economic growth happening in West Michigan,' Birgit Klohs, president and CEO of the West Michigan economic development group The Right Place, Inc., said in a statement."

Interesting that her "vivid proof" of economic growth is moving into an empty building owned buy a company that didn't see vivid proof of any reason to remain in Michigan.

How many "targeted tax breaks" are we going to waste until we learn that it's the "miserable Michigan business climate, stupid" and the answer is to fix the problem, not phony "plans" or "promises" in lieu of real, statewide job expansion?

Muskegon's Johnson Technology adds 74 positions

Muskegon's Johnson Technology adds 74 positions
"the Michigan Economic Growth Authority board approved a state tax credit valued at $2 million over the next 12 years. The city of Muskegon is expected to consider a property tax abatement for the company....
The 74 direct jobs at Johnson Technology are expected to create another 93 indirect jobs, according to state estimates."

Ummm, they haven't added 74 positions, they've promised to add 74 positions over the next 12 years. It's pretty clear that would have happened anyway.

And doncha love the "93 indirect jobs" created! Those state estimators are really spot on!

Soon we're gonna hear about "indirect jobs saved". Guaranteed......

The $2+ million is a "tax stimulus". Imagine that!
Give a company a tax cut and they might hire new workers!

Too bad we got a giant pork spending bill instead of tax cuts to employers.

Family angry when paralyzed Marine Joshua Hoffman is denied free entrance to Michigan's Adventure

Family angry when paralyzed Marine Joshua Hoffman is denied free entrance to Michigan's Adventure
"Camille Jourden-Mark, general manager of Michigan's Adventure, said park policy does not allow any non-participants in free."

I imagine she regrets her first decision.

I also wonder if he was wearing his uniform (I doubt it) when trying to enter the park.

There is no question that this brave Marine deserved a break but using that photo is classic Chronicle sophistry.

The Chronicle shows its shamelessness again.

Lift-Tech International to close in Muskegon Heights

Lift-Tech International to close in Muskegon Heights
"Employees at Lift-Tech International on Tuesday got the news they were all hoping wouldn't come: The historic plant on Broadway Avenue will close.....
Muskegon Heights City Manager Natasha Henderson said the city had worked with state and local economic development agencies to try to keep the plant open, even offering to visit with corporate officials in Amherst, N.Y."

Imagine how IMPRESSED the lift-tech management would have been with that visit!

Ensign to Acknowledge Extramarital Affair

Ensign to Acknowledge Extramarital Affair
"Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) has acknowledged an extramarital affair with a campaign staffer in a statement released by his office. 'I deeply regret and am very sorry for my actions,' said Ensign. He is expected to announce the affair at a press conference at 6:30 pm tonight. The affair, which was with a woman who worked for both Ensign's re-election campaign and his Battle Born leadership political action committee, began in December 2007 and ended in August 2008. Ensign's wife, Darlene, said that the couple's 'marriage has become stronger' and added: 'I love my husband.'"

Scumbag!

Ohio Residents Ticketed for Parking in Own Driveways

Ohio Residents Ticketed for Parking in Own Driveways
"Residents of Toledo, Ohio, are complaining that they received $25 tickets for parking their vehicles in their own driveways.
Mayor Carty Finkbeiner says he stands by the citations handed out last week by the Division of Streets, Bridges and Harbor. He says the tickets were issued under a city law against parking on unpaved surfaces, including gravel driveways.
During a news conference Monday, Finkbeiner ignored a reporter's question of whether the crackdown and fines were related to the city's budget crisis."

How "creative" these democrooks are!

Witt Buick owner fighting GM's decision to close dealership

Witt Buick owner fighting GM's decision to close dealership
"After nearly 100 years of service to Muskegon and more than 70 years of selling Buicks, Witt Buick is expected to be one of the dealerships forced by General Motors to shut down in 2010."

California Democrats Seek Tax Boost as Battle Looms

California Democrats Seek Tax Boost as Battle Looms
"Speaker of the Assembly Karen Bass, a Los Angeles Democrat, said higher taxes and fees are needed instead of all $16 billion in cuts proposed by Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. His proposed reductions would eliminate entire welfare programs and leave 1 million children without health insurance. Democrats yesterday proposed a $15 automobile license fee and said they may consider a 9.9 percent per-barrel levy on oil produced in the state."

Dems ALWAYS want more taxes and spending!

They will tax any and everything... so watch out Americans.... they will take what they want unless we stand tall against them!

Sen. Coburn questions 100 stimulus projects

Sen. Coburn questions 100 stimulus projects
"Coburn also criticized a $3.4 million Florida Department of Transportation project for an 'eco-passage' - an underground wildlife road crossing for turtles and other wildlife in Lake Jackson, Fla., along U.S. 27.
'Why did the turtle cross the road? To get to the other side of a stimulus project,' the Coburn report says."

SHOULD WE BE WORRYING ABOUT INFLATION?

SHOULD WE BE WORRYING ABOUT INFLATION?
With a troubling chart of money-supply growth.

The American Spectator : After the Tea Parties

After the Tea Parties: "What do conservatives do after the Tea Parties? What do you do when the protests are over? How do you harness all that energy? How do you turn it into a permanent force?"

IRS Proposes New Cell Phone Tax

IRS Proposes New Cell Phone Tax
"According to the WSJ the IRS is proposing to require employees to pay taxes on 25% of the cost of any employer provided cell phone. Taxpayers would be exempt if they could prove that they had a separate cell phone for private use. Talk may get a lot more expensive very soon under the Obama Adminstration's IRS proposal. Stay tuned . . ."

theblogprof

theblogprof: "Yet more data against the CO2 bogeyman. There's more, so click over and read the whole thing. As I have pointed out in many prior posts on the topic, there are many instances (I would say an overwhelming majority here) of actual observable scientific data that contradicts the view of the global warming alarmists. Here's a short list of the challenges facing global warming zealots (compiled from what can be found at WattsUpWithThat and other sources):"

$1.5 million in cuts includes 9 Reeths-Puffer teaching positions

$1.5 million in cuts includes 9 Reeths-Puffer teaching positions
"The district will cut 9.2 teaching positions next year -- three of them through layoffs, said Superintendent Stephen Cousins.
About $1.5 million in spending cuts are included in a proposed 2009-10 budget expected to be approved by the school board Monday. The cuts would have been deeper if not for $545,000 in special education stimulus funds, Cousins said.
'That'll keep some people working that otherwise would have been laid off,' Cousins said. 'Our concern is that we're using a lot of stimulus money to augment the budget, and that money's going to be gone next year.'"

Using "stimulus" money to offset current budget shortfalls is exactly like borrowing from your credit card to pay you current bills......except your kids co-signed and they will have to pay the credit card bill.

Crooks and idiots!

Rural Mich. counties turn failing roads to gravel

Rural Mich. counties turn failing roads to gravel
"Some Michigan counties have turned a few once-paved rural roads back to gravel to save money. .........
Reverting to gravel has happened in a few other states but it is most typical in Michigan. At least 50 miles have been reverted in the state in the past three years."

We call it "regraveling"!
This will bring in the new businesses and jobs.......right.......

Power Line - The Walpin Story

Power Line - The Walpin Story: "If, like me, you haven't had time over the last few days to keep up with the story of Barack Obama's firing of Gerald Walpin, the Inspector General who has responsibility for the AmeriCorps program, Byron York will bring you up to speed. The story is an interesting one that sheds light on the lawless, bullying nature of the Obama administration."

Lucianne.com News Forum - Thread

Lucianne.com News Forum - Thread: "If, like me, you haven't had time over the last few days to keep up with the story of Barack Obama's firing of Gerald Walpin, the Inspector General who has responsibility for the AmeriCorps program, Byron York will bring you up to speed. (Snip)This story adds to the disconcerting picture we are getting of the Obama administration--a picture of lawlessness, hyperpartisanship, cronyism and lack of transparency."

Narrative Dissonance

Narrative Dissonance:
"'I mean, in a way, Obama's standing above the country, above--above the world, he's sort of God.'
These drug-addicted words come from Evan Thomas, a longtime editor at Newsweek. He uttered them on Chris Matthews's MSNBC show."

And the libs in academia tell us there is no media bias?

Detroit pension trustees take flight on funds' tab

Detroit pension trustees take flight on funds' tab
"The trustees who oversee Detroit's two public pensions, their lawyers and staff spent $380,000 over the past year circling the globe to attend conferences -- often traveling in packs, with virtually no limitation on where they went or how often they traveled."

Lots of thoughts here.....
Why did it take the Detroit media so long to figure out what EVERYONE already knew?
Why haven't any Michigan or national media reported this?
Why hasn't the Freep reported this outrage earlier?

Why do these crooks do the SAME THING in most EVERY city and county in America and GET AWAY WITH IT?

HUSH LIMBAUGH: RUSH SLIPS TO NO. 3 IN TOTAL LISTENERS

HUSH LIMBAUGH: RUSH SLIPS TO NO. 3 IN TOTAL LISTENERS
"Talkers says average national weekly listenership for Dr. Laura, who like Rush is heard here on WABC (770 AM), is 18 million. Stern, of WXRK (92.3 FM), has 17.5 million and Limbaugh clocks in at 17.25 million."

Bummer libs!

This gush of joy from the "end-of-Rush" hopers is from 1998!

Will you get free Prozac with free Obama-care?

A question of race? Working couple stopped by police

A question of race? Working couple stopped by police
"Why did a resident of the upper-middle-class subdivision call the police on her? Why did a sheriff's deputy question her for more than 20 minutes? And why did the same deputy visit Langston and her boyfriend the next day?"

Classic race baiting by The Chronicle.
There is absolutely no proof or even an allegation of racial profiling except for the charge by the black couple.... anyone smell a nice lawsuit in the works?

Yet it is prominently positioned in the "newspaper" and on the web.

Compare how they treat the Muskegon charter amendments (posted below).
In depth analysis nowhere to be seen on that one.

Not racial enough?

Muskegon to end curbside recycling, ax four employees

Muskegon to end curbside recycling, ax four employees
"Elimination of twice-monthly curbside recycling beginning July 1 will save $60,000. City Manager Bryon Mazade said the recycling program -- which has been part of the city-provided garbage service -- was struggling with less-than-hoped-for use by city residents"

Recycling is an idiotic program that costs money, time and energy to produce zero benefit except for anyone except the public employees on salary.....and their bosses.

It's about time we got rid of this bogus program.

Now let's roll up our sleeves and dump the other dozens of worthless, tax-increasing, job destroyers while there is still a "Muskegon".

Muskegon voters to face city charter issues

Muskegon voters to face city charter issues
The sx charter amendments would:
• Eliminate the civil service system.
• Change the city's fiscal year.
• Change the time for city property tax collection.
• Change the date when the budget must be submitted.
• Eliminate the charter provision for board of review sessions.
• Eliminate the city August primary.
Many of the amendments have cost-saving implications.
Both the changes in fiscal year and tax collection provide one-time budget benefits if the city commission were to enact the change."

Wow!

Another fab example of The Chronicle's famous "in depth" reportage!
....or more of the same lazy, cheerleading for the same idiotic "leadership" that has destroyed our city.

This could be a BIG issue if The Chronicle would allow analysis and a legitimate debate of each amendment.

It would also be a first for our dying local newspaper.

Biden: $2-billion boost coming to help Michigan

Biden: $2-billion boost coming to help Michigan
yeah, right....

Trashing food scraps? This city will fine you

Trashing food scraps? This city will fine you
"Trash collectors in San Francisco will soon be doing more than just gathering garbage: They'll be keeping an eye out for people who toss food scraps out with their rubbish.
San Francisco this week passed a mandatory composting law that is believed to be the strictest such ordinance in the nation. Residents will be required to have three color-coded trash bins, including one for recycling, one for trash and a new one for compost — everything from banana peels to coffee grounds."